More than 95 percent of the 1,414 members of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), responding to a survey about student attendance, cited one or more problems. The first five chapters report the survey findings and those of other studies and polls concerning attendance matters. One issue discussed is why students stay away from school and what can be done to improve the situation; another concerns the identification of dropouts, their number, characteristics, and the economic factors that affect them. Future demographic and enrollment trends are projected. The last three chapters of the report detail how administrators and boards of education are trying to keep students in school. The chapter "Practices" contains findings of the survey: how many districts are following written attendance policies, attendance-taking practices of teachers, and who is responsible for attendance. The chapter "Policies" analyzes school attendance policies submitted by more than 700 school boards. The chapter "Problems" illustrates workable ideas and programs at the federal, state, and local levels to deal with all forms of nonattendance and to reduce dropout rates. (Author/MLF)

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